Monika A. Paris: April 2008 Archives

Written by Mike Kraeuter

This Featured FISH started her attack on the record boards back during the Reindeer MINI Meet and has been lowering those times all season long. She qualified for the 50 free and 50 fly in the PVS 14 & Under Junior Olympic Championships as a 8 year old Mini FISH. Isabella Rongione loves to swim fast and work hard; it is her dedication and compassion for the sport that has allowed her to achieve incredible results. However, this isn't her most favorite thing about swimming, keep reading so you can find out...

written by Alec Contag

STATE Grand Prix "BEAST!!!" Was probably the one word that was most frequently uttered by all those in attendance of the Ohio State Grand Prix, in the marvelous McCorkle aquatics pavilion in Columbus, Ohio. The word, as our fabulous Team Manager soon learned, is a term in use exclusively by the Awesome Fish as a form of encouragement, quality, approval, and even endearment: a word quite fitting to describe the adventure that was Ohio State.

After getting his first Olympic Trials cut on Saturday evening in the 400 m  Free with a time of 3:59.71, Matthew struck again only 17 hours later in the 1500 m Free.  His time of 15:50.21 left no room for doubt, as opposed to his 400 m Free time on Saturday night.

When we left the pool on Saturday evening, after looking at his time on the scoreboard, we all believed Matthew had swum a 4:00.15 in the 400 m Free, missing his Trials cut by sixteen hundredths of a second.  It was only an hour later, after Coach Ray received a text message from his wife Joanne congratulating Matthew for swimming so well that we realized he might have swum faster.  Kate used her new toy, her red Blackberry, to research the official results and then announced to the entire restaurant that Matthew had made his first Trials cut.  Hardly anyone in the restaurant knew what was going on when the congratulating and clapping started, but the enthusiasm and joy was shared by all.

Congratulations Matthew and Coach Ray! Onward to Omaha! Read on for best times...